


A Taste of Smoldering Embers

by PlightZero



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: F/M, It’s a crackship with a good dynamic to it, its just only a crack ship, its really good i swear
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-08
Updated: 2017-12-08
Packaged: 2019-02-12 00:58:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,926
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12947862
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PlightZero/pseuds/PlightZero
Summary: The best things happen unexpectedly, at any time, and at any place. All it takes is speed and execution. - Maki finds out that Ouma takes the same subway train as her after school, every day.





	A Taste of Smoldering Embers

December somehow made every day both refreshing but also a nightmare, especially on chilly, rainy days. Each rain droplet that fell from the white clouds above, felt like icy bullets being fired from a gun towards Maki's face.

She hissed quietly to herself as she rewrapped her pink scarf a little tighter around her face, her eyes distracted by her breath appearing in front of her due to the cold. She grumbled as she didn't get warmer from her efforts, "I wish I were home right now."

Growing impatient as quickly as her lack of warmth, she descends down the concrete stairs leading to the subway in the city. where she was greeted with a better abundance of heat than the outside weather. Unexplainably, metro stations were warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer, and that much Maki appreciated when the weather was too extreme for her to handle.

She glanced up at the schedule her train home was going to arrive. Noticing that it would take her a little longer than usual, she sat down at nearby unoccupied bench and spent the time waiting by listening to music. The sounds of the crowd were drowned out by the melodies and synths she fell into, all until she was interrupted during her moment of serenity.

A little exasperated, she removed her earphones. “What is it? What do you want?” She glanced her eyes up at the stranger tapping her shoulder—but it was an instant moment of regret as soon as se realized who it was. 

“Hello hello, Harumaki!” Ouma’s grin widened from ear to ear. He was zipped up with a big red jacket, a second large scarf was wrapped around his face—and to top it off, he wore earmuffs designed around his stupid secret organization. “It’s nice to see you take the subway train just like me!”

Her glare became as cold as icicles. “Yeah, now I hate it even more. What do you want from me?” Her eyes narrowed as he sat down next to her, like as if his life weren’t in danger at all. That could be arranged though.

“It’s nothing much,” he cheerfully waved his hand. “I only wanted to sit down and talk to my best buddy, Maki!” Ouma snickered, fully aware that anybody calling her Harumaki was on a one-way trip to death row, or just something even worse than that. “What brings you to the metro train? I didn’t think you’d ride the subway.”  
“It’s my only method of transportation to the dorms,” she sighed. “I have at least enough money to pay for the morning trip to school, and the afternoon trip back.” In almost an instant, Ouma squinted devilishly at her.

“Where do you even get the money anyways? Don’t you live alone? You don’t even have a part time job from what I’ve heard from the others in class.” His smile widened, and his expression became more dangerous every waking minute. “Do you have a secret you don’t want to tell us?”

“Yeah, it’s a secret you’re never going to get your filthy, parasitic hands on, you insect.”

He laughed, wrapping his arm around Maki playfully—patting her shoulder. “Don’t worry! Supreme leaders always find their way to get what they want!” Annoyed, she forcefully grabbed his wrist and pulled his arm off of her.

Glancing at the subway schedule, she picked up her bag, and plugged in her earphones again to drown Ouma’s annoying voice out of her life. “Are you going to cry like a little child to people to give you the answer? Oh well, it’s not like I care. I’ve got a train to catch; see you never.” She waved her hand behind her, walking up to the train and boarded on the second the doors opened.

It was all quiet, and safe until… “Huh! What a coincidence! I didn’t think you’d ride the same train as me!” Her eyes shot open and glanced down to the side, spotting Ouma standing right next to her with the smuggest grin. 

Grinding her teeth in frustration and anger, she could only manage to hiss out, “Oh joy.” 

He laughed again, almost like a child becoming overjoyed for getting a lollipop. “Don’t worry, Makmak! I’ll make your train rides a lot less boring! It’ll be fun, trust me!”

She huffed, even more exasperated when she got to the train station.“The day I trust you with anything, is the day I’m not even human anymore.”

He clutched his heart almost instantly, exaggerating a pained expression along with it.“Yeowch! Your words are almost as sharp as knives, but that’s okay! I’ll show you that I can make your train rides less depressing and gray, like your face!”

“Excuse me?”

————————————— 

Ever since that day, Ouma and Maki have been ‘running into each other’ more often. Leaving the caretaker with more than just one headache to end the day with. The subway train certainly has been less quiet, but nobody liked the noise of a high schooler assaulting other passengers on the train. 

She couldn’t count how many times he was close to getting kicked off the train the next stop available, unfortunately, it never happened. With every passing minute, Ouma would pester her with random questions, whether they’d be personal, or absolutely off-topic and sudden—as well as desperately trying to find the spots she’s most ticklish at. 

Every day was something different, because Ouma always had something new to make Maki frustrated about for the rest of the evening. It’s almost as if there wouldn’t be a chance in sight where she wouldn’t have to deal with this for at least once.

Then, it happened.

It was a late Tuesday, the sun was already getting ready to sleep below the horizon—warm colors brightened radiantly versus the chilly winds and swaying cotton clouds. She sighed, preparing herself for the inevitable destiny she would have to endure for yet another train ride. 

Until the train doors closed, and Ouma was too late to board on. He was locked outside, to wait another hour for his train to come back. “Hey! Wait up! Stop the train!” His pleas were drowned out by the sounds of the rusty wheels screeching again with life to go back onto the move. Maki was the only one who saw his pointless efforts.

She smiled for the first time in a while. After the train left the station, she grinned and slumped back onto the chair, wiping a sweat bead from her brow and giving the biggest sigh of relief. “Finally… one day where I don’t have to deal with that prick on the train..!” Maki whispered to herself over and over again.

Except… the ride felt a little longer. Everything felt a little lonelier. It’s like as if all the color that was on the train suddenly vanished gradually. She eventually heard passengers on the train whisper amongst themselves.

_“Where’s the scarf kid? This train ain’t cool without him.”_

_”I think he missed his train… even if this is the first time, it feels like I’ve been on the subway for hours now.”_

_”Too bad we’ll have to sit through a train ride without him for the first time.”_

Maki couldn’t help but agree with those statements. 

It certainly indeed felt a little emptier without Ouma being there for the ‘annoyance factor’ and to supply the humor people seemed to enjoy at times. There were some instances where she couldn’t have the heart to stop his antics, or just get angry at him. Even some of his jokes actually made her snicker…  
She shook her head and slapped her cheeks—whispering under her breath. “What am I talking about..?! I hate that guy… he always tries to mess with my brain! He’s just an insufferable little parasite..!” Maki’s blood began to boil, just thinking about everything that angered her about Ouma—until she cooled down almost instantly the next moment.

“..Do I really hate him?” She thought to herself.

——————————————— 

The sky was darkening second by second. The subway train finally stopped at the final destination, and awaited for more passengers to board onto the train while others hopped off. Ouma finally step foot onto the ground and sighed to himself. “Finally… that’s the last time I mess with Keeboy longer than usual.”

The supreme leader adjusted his schoolbag, until he noticed a lonely figure waiting at a streetlamp. A sly grin began to pull at his lips. “Nee-heehee. What do we have here? Maki Harukawa, still at the subway station after she should’ve left by now?” He walked up to her, looking at her in the eye. “What are you doing here all by yourself? Are you here to vandalize?! Steal cars?! Touch dicks with the neighborhood president?!”

She didn’t say anything, except push herself off of the cold, lamppost. Ouma blinked, but continued with his antics regardless. 

“Unless you already touched dicks with the president! Then you’re not a very secretive person at all, Harumaki! You’re just as perverted as Iruma!” He waved his hands dismissively. “Don’t worry, your secret's safe in my hands. You’re way better than that cum dumpster of an inventor anyway!” He laughed once more, peeking a slight glance at her again.

She was approaching him, slowly and calmly. It was at that point where he fell silent and braced for the worst, looking straight at her neutral expression, head on. He closed his eyes, prepared for whatever punch was coming.

..Instead, he felt her warm hands caress his cheeks. A little confused, he cracked his eyes open, looking straight at Maki’s face who was closer than ever. “..What are you doing? You don’t act like this! This is way out of character, even for you, Haruma—”

He was interrupted with a pair of lips, gently pressing against his own. This was an experience he’s dreamed, but he didn’t expect Maki, out of all people, to do that for him. It felt like someone grabbed a baseball bat, and cracked open the nearest star—releasing all the energy that had been pent up for so long within himself and the caretaker. It didn’t last too long, as she was the one who broke it apart, and looked away with a reddening face.

It’s the first time he’s ever been this surprised to be silenced in a while. 

“L-Look,” she angrily stuttered, fidgeting with her hands and playing with her hair extremely flustered. “I-I like the train rides with you. The train felt too long since you missed it. It was boring, it was gray, and it was literally depressing in here because you weren’t right next to me.” Her blush darkened a shade, but this time she faced away. 

“You probably already knew this from the start somehow because you always do, but… I like you! Are you happy? Did I prove some stupid theory of yours? If I did, you’re welcome!” She kicked the dirt on the ground and began walking. 

He blinked, again, opening his mouth to respond. “M-Maki. Wait,” The leader sped up to meet her pace, and to tighten the distance from each other. “I return the.. feelings as well, but—“

She shot a glare at him, this time, he knew it wasn’t a threatening mask on her face, the blush still persisted. But he fell quiet, to at least save it for another day. 

On the walk home, he promised her something. 

“I’ll make it up to you.”

She blinked, and sighed again. 

“..Shut up, Kokichi.”

**Author's Note:**

> I STILL SHIP MOMOHARU AND OUMENO, I JUST HAPPEN TO ENJOY THIS CRACKSHIP JUST A TEENY BIT I SWEAR.
> 
> But I do hope you enjoy it, I wanted to get out of “writing Hinanami all the time” and give something different. Even if it’s a ship like this one. 
> 
> -Ant


End file.
